Hussein of Jordan

Lore & Background

Hussein bin Talal was born in Amman, the eldest child of Crown Prince Talal and Princess Zein al-Sharaf. He began his early education in Amman before attending Victoria College in Alexandria, Egypt, and later Harrow School in England, where he befriended his cousin, King Faisal II of Iraq. His grandfather, King Abdullah I, took a direct role in his upbringing, providing a private tutor for Arabic and using Hussein as an interpreter during meetings with foreign leaders. At age fifteen, Hussein survived an assassination attempt in Jerusalem that killed his grandfather; a bullet was deflected by a medal on his uniform that Abdullah had given him. He became crown prince after his father Talal ascended the throne, and was proclaimed king at seventeen following Talal’s forced abdication due to mental illness. Hussein was a constitutional monarch who initially permitted Jordan’s only democratically elected government in 1956, but soon forced its resignation, declared martial law, and banned political parties. He led Jordan through three wars with Israel, including the 1967 Six-Day War that cost Jordan the West Bank. In 1970, he expelled Palestinian militants in the conflict known as Black September. He renounced ties to the West Bank in 1988 after the PLO gained international recognition. He lifted martial law and reintroduced elections in 1989 after riots over price hikes. In 1994, he became the second Arab leader to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Hussein survived numerous assassination attempts and plots, and was known for pardoning political opponents, often giving them senior government posts. He was married four times and had eleven children. He died of cancer at age 63 after a 46-year reign, the longest of any regional leader, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah II.

Reader's Guide

Hussein’s long rule was marked by a series of decisive and often contradictory actions that defined Jordan’s modern trajectory. Early in his reign, he permitted the country’s only democratically elected government in 1956, but soon forced its resignation, imposed martial law, and banned political parties. He led Jordan into three wars with Israel, most notably the 1967 conflict, which cost Jordan control of the West Bank. In 1970, he ordered the expulsion of Palestinian militants from the kingdom in the violent episode known as Black September. Later, he renounced Jordan’s claim to the West Bank in 1988 after the Palestine Liberation Organization gained international recognition. He lifted martial law and reintroduced elections in 1989 following widespread riots over price increases. In 1994, he became the second Arab leader to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Throughout the Cold War and the Arab–Israeli conflict, Hussein skillfully balanced competing pressures from Arab nationalists, Islamists, the Soviet Union, Western powers, and Israel. Despite Jordan’s scant natural resources and a large influx of Palestinian refugees after the 1948 war, he transformed the young nation into a stable, modern state. He was widely respected as a regional peacemaker, often mediating between rival Middle Eastern factions. He also gained a reputation for pardoning political opponents and dissidents, frequently appointing them to senior government positions. Surviving dozens of assassination attempts and coup plots, he became the longest-reigning leader in the region before his death from cancer in 1999.

Did You Know?

• Hussein survived an assassination attempt at age 15 in Jerusalem that killed his grandfather, King Abdullah I.
• He was the region's longest-reigning leader at the time of his death.
• Hussein was a 40th-generation descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.